There’s something very familiar about the Duchess of Cambridge’s hair, from those bouffant up-dos and chignons to the face-framing, bouncy backcombing and beehives.

Think you’ve seen them somewhere before? It could be because Kate seems to be copying the retro locks of 66-year-old Princess Anne.

And although Kate’s only 35, top hairdressers say it is a canny move. Jake Wanstall, senior stylist at Jo Hansford, says that Princess Anne’s hair and Kate’s are almost identical: ‘They’re both classic brunettes with subtle colour and very thick, long locks in excellent condition.’

The look with which the Princess Royal is forever associated is that classical, Seventies style, where the hair is backcombed at the front and gracefully swept off the forehead — a look Kate seems keen to imitate.

‘As someone in the public eye, this is a genius move,’ says Jake. ‘Swept-back styles mean the face is always on view at public functions. As well as being polite — hiding behind hair can make you look shy or indifferent — it also helps you look permanently poised.’

And whether you like these vintage styles or not, they’re here to stay. ‘Where Kate goes, women follow,’ says Jake. ‘We’ll all be sporting Princess Anne styles this time next year.’

Pretty and pinned back: Princess Anne sports a tiara-adorned beehive in Australia in 1970. Kate’s hair is similarly impressive, though with less height and no diamonds she has to work harder to wow the crowds on a school visit in 2014

Regal arrangement: Youthful and smiling in 1972, Princess Anne is the height of elegance with hair to match, while at the Baftas this year, the Duchess of Cambridge is princess-like with a softly swept up-do

Soft-focus and flowing: Princess Anne, shot by Lord Snowdon in 1971, might almost be at Woodstock in this hippy-ish image. Kate’s style is strikingly similar, albeit with a hint of smart schoolgirl